Means for regulating electrodes in electric furnaces.



J. H. REID. MEANS FOR REGULATING ELECTRODES IN ELECTRIC FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.13. 1910.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

E K 5 1 5 a 1 M w/m JAMES HENRY REID, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

MEANS FOR BEGULATING ELECTRODES IN ELECTRIC FURNACES.

Specification of Letters I'atent.

Pa'tented Aug. 30, 1910.

Application filed January 13, 1910. Serial No. 537,937.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jams HENRY REID, of the city of Newark, in the State of New Jersey, United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Regulating Electrodes in Elec tric Furnaces, of which the following is a Specification.

My invention relates to means for regulating the movement of electrodes in electric furnaces, and the objects of my invention are to provide means for independently regulating the movement of each electrode while effecting the movement of all the electrodes from a single source of power, the movement of each electrode being automatically controlled by the current passing therethrough.

It consists essentially of the improved construction hereinafter described in detail in the accompanying specifications and drawmgs.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electric furnace embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse, enlarged sectional View showing one of the electrodes. Fig. 3 isa sectional detail on the line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the electric connect-ion for a single electrode. Fig. 5 is an elevation partially in detail showing the electric clutch employed to control separately the electrodes.

In the drawings, like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each fi ure.

Referrin to the drawings, A represents an electric furnace, such for example as that described in my earlier United States Patent No. 947,849, and B represents the electrodes thereof.

C is a power driven shaft operated in an suitable way, as from a motor D. This sha is connected to each of the electrodes by.

electrically controlled means which enables the shaft to move the electrodes either outwardly 0r inwardly, according to the condition of the current passing through the electrodes. In order to effect this, an electro-magnetic and reversible clutch E is inserted 1n the connection between the power shaft in each electrode, the construction of this clutch being well known in the art. For instance a description of a suitable clutch may be found on page 17 8 in a book entitled Mechanical A Ziances by Gardner D. Hiscox, and pubfished by the Norman W.

Henley Publishing Company, of New York, 1904. In this clutch, two electro-magnets l0 and 11 are employed, and the armature 12 will be driven in one direction when the magnet 10 is energized and in the opposite direction when the magnet 11 is energized. This armature is connected to the electrodes by suitable mechanical means, as by the worm gear 13, screw-threaded shaft let and strap 15 on the electrode. The energization of the electro-magnets 10 and 11 is adapted to be controlled by the current passing through the electrodes, as may be seen by reference to the diagrammatic view in Fig. 4. The electro-magnet 10 is included in a circuit 13, having a source of power 14, a stop 15 and a needle 17 of a suitable indicating means, such as a volt-meter, ammeter or pyrometer which indicates the condition of the current passing through the electrode. The magnet 10 is in circuit with a source of power 18, stop 19 and the needle 17. The stops 15 and 19 being adjustably located on opposite sides of the needle, as more fully set forth and described in my application filed January 13/10, Serial No. 537,936.

In operation: when the current passing through the electrodes rises too high the needle will complete the circuit through one of the stops in the electro-magnet, causing the electrodes to be moved by the gear in one direction. When the current drops the needle will move into contact with the other stop, energizing the opposite magnet and reversing the direction of drive of the electro-magnet.

It will be noted that the gearing embodied in the present invention is continuous so that the electrode is always being continuously fed in either direction. This gear is found much more effective than any form of step-by-step gear which would only feed the electrode intermittently.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention, within the scope of the claims could be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specifications and idrawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and notin a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In'an electric furnace, the combination with a plurality of electrodes of a power driven shaft, and gearing means permanently and directly connecting each electrode with the power driven shaft, said gearing means including a reversible magnetic clutch, the magnets of which are controlled by the current passing through the electrodes said gearing being of such a character as to give a continuous, as distinguished from a step-by-step drive.

2. In an electric furnace the combination with an adjustable electrode of a power driven shaft, an armature geared thereto adapted when rotated to move the electrode in and out, rotatable members at opposite ends of the armature carrying electro-magnets adapted to attract and hold the same, gearing connecting said rotatable members with the power driven shaft in such a way that when one magnet is energized it will drive the armature in the reverse direction to that in which it would be driven if the other electro-magnet were energized, and means for controlling said electro-magnets by the current passing through the electrodes.

3. In an electric furnace the combination with an adjustable electrode of a power driven shaft, an armature geared thereto adapted when rotated to move the electrode in and out, rotatable members on opposite ends of the armature carrying electro-magnets adapted to attract and hold the same, gearing connecting said rotatable members with the power driven shaft in such a way that when one magnet is energized it will eeaeos drive the armature in the reverse direction to that in which it would be driven if the other electro-magnet were energized, and means for controlling said electro-magnets by the current passing through the elec trodes, saidvelectro-magnets being actuated by a source of power independent of that supplying the electrodes 4:. In an electric furnace the combination with a plurality of electrodes, of a power driven shaft, an independent connection between each of the electrodes and the shaft, the said connection including a reversible, electrically controlled clutch having two magnets thereon adapted to cause transmission in'reversed directions, and indicating means including an indicating needle, stops on opposite sides of said needle, two electric circuits each including a source of power and one of the stops and one of the magnets and the needle, the connections being such that when the needle is in contact with one of the stops, the magnetin circuit therewith will be energized to-cause the electrode to be moved in one direction and when the needle is in contact with the opposite stop it will be moved in the opposite direction.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES HENRY REID.

Witnesses:

E. A. FILKINs, M. E. BAmD. 

